Having gone to the majority of dances at St. Paul Central High School for the past four years, I have seen my fair share of clothes on girls. From long maroon silk dresses to tight bandage dresses with short cutoffs, I believed that I had seen every kind of dress imaginable (in my opinion, some should be considered shirts).

For prom though, I imagined that both girls and guys would keep it classy.

More than a year ago, Patience Zalanga decided to “go natural” and stop chemically relaxing hair. After cutting it off in a “big chop,” this St. Paul teen’s hair took her on a journey of discovery about just how much of a statement hair can be.

Are you a teen looking to save money on clothing? You are not alone. According to youthradio.org, teen retail spending is down 14 percent this year. But it is not necessary to sacrifice your style to cut down on spending. Here are 12 easy ways to spend less and still look good.

Gladiator footwear was serious business 2,000 years ago when Roman warriors would wear them during battles, complete with over-the-knee plates to protect their shins. Today they are spreading quickly from retail stores to the streets with prices as low as $20 to as high as hundreds of dollars.

There’s a dress code at Humboldt Senior High School, on St. Paul’s west side, but many students don’t follow the rules. Reporters Amanda Heiple, Celina Martina and Kihabeth Martinez, who are freshmen at Humboldt, survey students, staff and teachers about what the dress code is for and how it works.

ThreeSixty Journalism, a nonprofit program of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas, brings diverse teen voices into journalism through intense instruction of civic literacy, writing skills and professional readiness.